


Touched By Shadow

by Cinderpaw1



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Aftercare, Dom Vex, Dom/sub, F/M, Flashback to Ripley, Safewording, Sub Percy, starts off steamy but isn't actually porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 18:16:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9837206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinderpaw1/pseuds/Cinderpaw1
Summary: Percy's always loved that Vex took control in the bedroom. It gave him freedom to just relax and enjoy the ride.But some things, no matter how well intended, can cause pain.And not the pleasurable kind.





	

It wasn’t that the sex wasn’t already lovely, Percy thought. He hadn’t had much experience before Vex, but he found that their tastes… coincided quite wonderfully.

It was nice to let go of control for a little while, let someone else call the shots. Vex loved to take the lead, and what started as just her getting on top and riding him lead to some more drastic experiments.

It had been the end of another long day, the entire group having stumbled back from their lovely little trip to the Nine Hells. One Rakshasha dead, the rest of them alive, and Percy felt wound up in a way that only Vex could help undo.

They stumbled into Vex’s bedroom together, and Vex pressed her lips against his in a needy kiss. Percy clung to her, kissing back. He needed this, had almost lost her _again._

One of these days, they would come home without having nearly lost each other for another time.

When the kiss broke, Vex gently cupped Percy’s face in her palms. “…I want to try something new tonight. Is that okay?”

“Anything you’d like, Lady Vex’Ahlia.” Percy purred in reply, and Vex chuckled. 

“Buttering me up already, are we?” she kissed the tip of his nose, before going to the bedside table and pulling out ropes of silk, showing them to Percy. “…I want to try tying you up.”

For the first time since they began their games, Percy hesitated slightly. He never liked being bound. It reminded him too much of his days spent in Ripley’s…”care”.  
But this was Vex. Vex would never hurt him. He trusted her, and she would make this good and wonderful and he could just… let go and enjoy what she had in store for him.

“All right.” Percy replied, and Vex’s happy smile helped quash the majority of his misgivings. He could definitely cope with it, so long as it kept Vex smiling like that. Nothing was better that seeing her so light and happy.

Vex sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her legs and watching Percy. “Strip down then, nice and prettily.” She told him, and Percy eagerly did so. He shrugged off his coat before slowly undoing the ascot tied around his neck, drawing it away in what he hoped was an attractive manner.

Judging by the way she eyed his exposed throat, he supposed he had succeeded.

He started unbuttoning his shirt, wincing a little as he pulled it off. The massive cut on his side from the backwards claw of Hotis had left his shirt stuck to his side despite the healing that Pike had done in the middle of the battle.

Vex frowned a little at the sight of it. “Come here, darling.” She murmured, and Percy moved a little closer to her. She put gentle hands to either side of the gash, and Percy felt relief as healing magic seeped into his skin from her fingers.

He disliked magic, for the most part. But coming from Vex, he trusted it. 

He gave her a smile. “Thank you, dear.” He murmured.

“You’re welcome. Now, continue.” She waved her hand, sitting back with an important air that any born baroness would kill to possess. 

Percy continued to remove the buckles and straps that kept his gunbelt around his waist, setting the weapons to the side before removing his trousers and underclothing. He tried his hardest not to blush as he exposed himself, already hard and eager, and stood tall and proud as Vex examined him.

Vex’s lips were curled into a satisfied smile as her eyes dropped to his cock, pink tongue darting out to lick at her lips and causing Percy to throb at the sight. She laughed at the slight jerk it gave, and Percy wished that his dick would have more manners.

“You’re beautiful, darling.” Vex stood, placing her hands on his chest and letting the fingertips graze down his skin. Percy did his best to suppress a shudder; he knew that a long night awaited him if he did, based off of previous games.

“Thank you, my Lady.” Percy murmured, and suppressed a smile at the happiness that sparked in Vex’s eyes whenever he made mention of her title. He would never regret giving her that happiness, not ever.

Vex’s hand moved to the small of his back, guiding him towards the bed. “Hands and knees, now.” She purred, and Percy felt that small swell of apprehension in his stomach once more. He pushed it down. This was Vex.

This was Vex.

Not Ripley.

Percy got onto his hands and knees, feeling exposed but trusting Vex. She would make this so good. She would push him to his limits and then pull him back, take him apart and let him soak in the boneless, wonderful feeling of after.

He truly did love this woman.

The apprehension grew as Vex carefully bound his wrists together and to the headboard, the ties loose enough that he could undo them himself if he needed to. They were soft against his skin, nothing like the cold, hard irons that Ripley had used to bind him in this exact position.

No, he wouldn’t think of Ripley, not now. This was Vex, Vex would make him forget the stress of the day, she was taking control and he had to let her, and trust her.

His ankles were bound now, and Percy felt the bed shift as Vex climbed onto it by his side.

“You’re so beautiful like this, Percival.” She crooned, nails lightly scraping down his spine.

And that was it.

That was too much.

_Percy was on all fours, iron shackles keeping him in place. His knees were aching, and he could feel the cracking of scabs and burned flesh as he shifted slightly to relieve the pressure. He was shirtless, and that was a small relief for him now. Clothing was even more torturous, the scraping of the material against his raw flesh a living hell._

_He heard the gentle clack of boots as Ripley entered the room, heard her laugh. “Doing all right there, Percival?” she crooned, moving to his side. Her nails gently scraped down the line of his spine. “You look so beautiful like this._

Percy jolted away from Vex’s touch, the memory too powerful. He couldn’t go far, the bonds around his ankles tightening as he tried to pull away, and he grasped at the blankets as he trembled.

“Animus. Animus.” He forced out the word that Vex had made him choose when they had begun these little games between them, just to make sure he had a way out of anything that he couldn’t take. He knew he’d never say the name of his gun unless something was causing him enough distress that he felt like he would need it.

Vex’s demeanor shifted immediately, and she moved to swiftly undo the ties keeping Percy In place. Percy trembled, and the moment he was free, he moved to stand, needing to walk, needing to have that freedom. His hands twitched as he rubbed at his wrists, breathing hard and trying to get himself under control.

Vex sat on the edge of the bed silently, letting him breathe and take some time to collect his thoughts. When Percy felt a little less panicked and a little more in control, Vex stood and gently cupped his face in her hands.

“I’ve got you.” She murmured, all traces of her dominant personality she took on in the bedroom gone. This was pure Vex, concerned and gentle. “I’ve got you Percy, it’s just me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Percy leaned into her touch, feeling a little lightheaded. “You didn’t know.” He murmured.

“You should have told me. Percy, I never wanted to make you do anything that would make you afraid like that.” She murmured, gently stroking his cheeks with her thumbs as she looked up at him. 

Percy just looked back at her. “I trust you.” He replied softly. “I trust you, because when it got too much, you stopped.”

“Of course, darling.” Vex murmured. “What do you need from me right now?”

Percy let out a long breath. “…will you hold me?” he requested softly. He felt raw, opened in a way he never let himself really feel. 

But this was Vex.

He could be himself around her. His entirely fucked up self, and she would still be there.

Vex pulled him into her arms, and they settled down on the bed together. Vex just held him, his head resting against her chest, and he let himself breathe as she ran gentle fingers through his hair.

Once he had calmed down a little more, Vex murmured. “What happened that made you freak out?” she asked. “I need to know, so I won’t accidentally do it again.”

Percy took in a deep breath and let it out. “…Ripley.” He murmured. “During my…time in her company, she had me bound similarly. And then… you said her words. It was too much. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, darling.” Vex murmured, pressing her lips to his hair in a comforting manner. “We won’t do that again, all right? I’m sorry.”

Percy just nuzzled his cheek against her, letting out a long breath. “You didn’t know.” He murmured. “…and I’m not…object, to being bound by you. Just… not like that.”

“Never again. I promise.” Vex murmured, kissing his hair once more. “How about a massage, instead? You’re even more tense than you were before, now.”

“A massage sounds wonderful.” Percy murmured in reply, and shifted. Vex gave him a light kiss on the lips before moving to sit behind him, her deft fingers finding and working out the tension in his shoulders and back. 

Percy let out an appreciative groan as she worked, and felt her lips against the back of his neck.

“…I love you, Percy.” She whispered, soft and quiet and filled with nervous energy. This was Vex baring herself to him, and Percy was reminded of the soft words he had heard, in the quiet after Orthax had been ripped away and before he had taken a breath of life, brought back from death by Pike’s magic.

And Vex’s love.

Percy let a soft smile curl his lips, and he let her stay hidden behind him, giving her the privacy so she didn’t feel any more raw. There had been enough painful feelings for one evening.

“I love you too, Vex.”

**Author's Note:**

> Writers block is hitting me hard on my other fics. I dunno where I saw it, but someone was requesting aftercare fic and well, it stuck in my head. Hope you guys enjoy!


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